Khénifra has the look of a working town that has seen a few battles, which it has. It lies on the Oum Er-Rbia river, Morocco's second-longest, at the south-western edge of the Middle Atlas, and its old quarter of red-brown buildings still bears the stamp of the Zayane Berbers, who held the area. Their leader, Moha ou Hammou Zayani, is remembered for resisting French forces in the early twentieth century and for the victory at El Herri in 1914, where his fighters inflicted a heavy defeat on a French column. His ruined kasbah stands by the river, and a statue in town commemorates him.
White storks nest on rooftops and minarets all over town, and in spring the sight of them clattering their bills on top of chimneys is part of the charm. The river runs under an old bridge, and the market, busy and unpolished, is the place to buy fruit, carpets and leather goods. Khénifra is not a tourist town, so the cafés mostly serve locals, and a stranger is met with curiosity and friendliness.
The riding on the way in is good. From Azrou, the road runs south-west over a high plateau of cedar forest, scrub and pasture, with big sky views and little traffic, passing lakes such as Aguelmame Azigza, set in a volcanic crater. Winters bring snow to the heights, and the pass can be icy, so check the conditions between November and March. In summer, the plain heats up and the road is fast and open, with the wind a constant presence.
The springs that feed the Oum Er-Rbia lie a short distance away, a cluster of pools and falls under rock and reeds, where trout are farmed and restaurants serve grilled fish by the water. The town has fuel stations, workshops, and banks, and with more than seventy thousand people it is an easy place to resupply on the way to Midelt or toward the Atlas. Lunch on brochettes and bread is cheap and filling, and mint tea is always on offer. Plan to arrive in daylight, as the roads around town are poorly lit.